Unspoken Promises by Sienna Judd is Book 1 in her new series, Echo Valley.
Read if you love:
🌆 Small-town Romantic Suspense
🌧️☀️ Grumpy-Sunshine
👔 Boss x Employee
🤝 Forced Proximity
🛡️ Protective Hero
👨👩👧 Found Family
🔄 Age Gap
💖 Virgin FMC
4.5 ⭐️| 2 🌶️
“I never thought of myself as needing saving, but if anyone would do it, it’s her.”
OMG! Sienna, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. After reading *The Perfect Playbook*, I knew Shay’s brother’s story was next, and it didn’t disappoint. Enzo Mendez and his brothers own Ghost Eye, a company created to assist law enforcement with criminal associations. However, they’ve recently experienced some hacking issues, leading them to open a contest to find someone who could help. The winner of the contest was Ava Scott, also known as Lucy Murphy. She had been held captive for fourteen years and escaped to California sooner than anticipated to work for her dream company and flee her father's control.
Ava was the perfect match for Enzo. She is smart, tech-savvy, and a talented hacker, and on top of that, she’s a gorgeous redhead. Ava has always admired Enzo; she had read everything about him, and beyond his work, she was instantly attracted to him—who could resist a handsome man in glasses and a cowboy hat? Their connection went deeper than physical attraction; both had difficult pasts and understood each other even without words. This scared Enzo, whose sole mission was to protect his family—and now Ava. He knows she is hiding something, but he needs to earn her trust before she reveals who she’s running from. As they began working side by side, their attraction and chemistry grew. Having never had contact with others or experienced the outside world, Ava was eager to make friends but also wanted a relationship with Enzo. Enzo’s go to is that he doesn’t make promises he stopped making them because nobody can guarantee anything.
When Enzo finally lowered his walls and let her in, it was a pivotal moment. Ava brought him out of his comfort zone; he had never allowed anyone to get close to him or his family. He felt happier around her, she was magnetic, his equal. His trust issues were significant, but with Ava, he felt more at ease, and they fell for each other. Despite being her boss and the age gap between them, Enzo's brother Santi and their father, Luis, encouraged him to take the leap.
He was so kind and understanding with her. He cared for her during her allergic reactions and was there for her panic attacks. No one had ever taken care of her before, except for Anton, the person who monitored her 24/7. While she could be a bit naive and sometimes frustrating, Ava’s lack of normalcy in her previous life contributed to her struggles with the reality of the world.
Despite her occasional stubbornness, Ava was smart, empathetic, caring, and supportive. Even after everything she had been through, she still saw the good in people. Enzo was intelligent, caring, and protective of his loved ones. He was grumpy, rarely expressing his feelings beyond scowls, but he was a softie for those he cared about, which is why he was drawn to Ava’s sunshine. He made romantic gestures for her, like bringing her snacks, and their first date was sweet. Now, let’s talk about spice—this grumpy, introverted man had a filthy mouth! He was undeniably hot, but he also treated her in a way that would melt your heart.
The small-town people were delightful. Luis now lives with his sons in Echo Valley after moving from Starlight Canyon (New Mexico). He has started a book club and is quite the cool guy for reading spicy novels. I can’t wait to read about the rest of the Mendez brothers: Rio, Enzo’s twin; Santi; and Gabriel, whose mystery intrigued me.
The suspense in the book was spot on. I had my suspicions, but there’s a plot twist I never expected. If you’re looking for a small-town book with suspense, please add this one to your TBR. Enzo is nerdy yet has a cowboy side, and you know my feelings about cowboys!
Thank you Grey’s Promotions & Sienna for the ARC. This review was left voluntarily.